Legends & Monsters
by Blue KAZ
Summary: Xander meetings some interesting people while on his summer vacation. Oh, and a freaking dragon too!
1. chapter 1

Legends and Monsters

Disclaimer: I own none of the intellectual properties used for this fanfiction. No profit is being gained.

Summary: Xander meets some interesting people while on his summer vacation. Oh, and a freaking dragon, too.

XXX

"Washington...the final frontier. These are the voyages of the slacker Xander Harris. His five year mission: to enjoy what he can with fifteen dollars in his pocket and a rusted old car, to enjoy the stars above him in Mount Baker-Sasquatch Forest, to make enough money to get home. To boldly go where no Xander has gone before."

The dark haired boy who went by Xander Harris was in the back seat of his 1957 Chevy Belair, lying down with his head resting against the door. He was staring up at the stars, his mind wandering as he considered his situation. He was parked illegally in one of Washington state's most visited parks, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and had every intention on spending the night there. It was still decent out, and he could pull the top up to make his night a bit warmer. In the morning, he planned to get an early start making his way back down south to California. It had been just over two months since he'd left for his great Kerouac inspired road trip, and he had spent most of his time exploring the west coast. He'd seen Los Angeles, San Francisco, the great redwoods, Legoland, The Rock (during which he'd been politely but firmly asked to stop asking everyone if they could smell what he was cooking), and lots of other locations between Los Angeles and Washington state. All in all, he was fairly pleased with how his trip had gone.

Only now, the summer was coming to an end in the next few weeks and there were some places he wanted to hit before arriving back in Sunnydale. Besides, he'd have to find a job sometime soon to pay for gas to get back home. And he had a powerful need to eat sometime soon, though he wasn't too concerned. He'd had the wherewithal to purchase a pole and a beginner's tackle box and, after obtaining a Washington fishing license, had spent the day catching fish. With the aid of some gathered wood and a cigarette lighter, he'd made short work of the few ones he'd caught. In the morning, he would likely do more of the same, but that didn't bother him too much. He'd rather spend time catching fish than going back home.

As he considered the future, his mind turned to Sunnydale and his friends. Just about now, Buffy and Willow would be lying down in their beds, enjoying the summer lull from demonic activity. Willow had probably been reading from her book of spells, or maybe even practicing them just before bed. Buffy would have finished in the cemetery, one of them at least, patrolling for the odd vampire that would show up. He wondered idly what Oz or Giles were up to, but his thoughts lingered on Oz a bit longer than he'd like. Specifically, he wondered what Oz and Willow were up to. He tried his best to put those thoughts out of his mind, for several reasons, but only succeeded in placing himself in a funk.

He wondered for a split second where Cordelia was and what she was doing, but he put that thought out of his mind as well. By his reasoning, he had no right wondering what his ex was doing. He'd given up that privilege the moment he'd begun cheating on her with Willow. With those thoughts in his mind, he was officially depressed. Still, he couldn't help but think such things. His mind often turned to its darkest corners when he was alone, which was one of many reasons he preferred to be in the company of others.

He forced himself away from such thoughts, locking them in the deepest parts of his mind while he meditated on the stars. They were always his favorite part of the night, even while on patrol; though it was rare he got to indulge in his gazing on those nights. There were some moments of his life where the only thing that got him through to the next day were the stars, and it was that sense of magic that had driven him out on the open road.

Of course, the open road had its dangers, so when Xander heard the noise coming from the trees, he reacted instinctively. Drawing out his .9 mm handgun, he lifted himself up a bit and looked out at the trees. There was a bright light in the darkness, one he recognized as likely being a flashlight. So he leveled his arms against the car door and honed in on the potential threat.

A man dressed in olive green pants and a similar jacket came through the trees, his flashlight just barely illuminating his face. He was dark haired and had a light beard and seemed to be unaware that Xander was there. His eyes caught sight of the car and the occupant and, when he saw the pistol aimed squarely at him, he stopped and raised his arms.

"Easy there, son," the man said, "Just take your hand off the trigger."

"Who're you?" Xander demanded.

"Ranger Nick Crawford," the man told him, "Look, I don't mean to be a dick, but would you put the damn gun down?"

Xander considered him for a moment before lowering the weapon, "Sorry, Sir. I didn't know who you were."

"Well, strictly speaking, you shouldn't be out here, let alone carrying that gun. Let's see some ID."

 _Shit_ , the teenager thought to himself while pulling out his wallet. The ranger examined his card for a moment before speaking into his radio as he stepped away. Xander was a bit worried. He'd had the pistol since high school, but had never had an opportunity to use it, or at least, not one when he'd known he'd need it. There were plenty of time he wished he'd had it, but fate just didn't work out that way. Now, since he knew he was parked well far away from the legal parking areas, he was seriously worried he was about to be hauled off to jail.

He idly considered making a run for it, but immediately dismissed that idea. As far as the world was concerned, he'd never broken any law. If they did decide to charge him, he doubted it would be too bad.

The ranger stepped back over to him and handed him his ID, "Alright, kid, you definitely aren't supposed to be here. Wanna tell me what you're doing parked illegally in the middle of these woods?"

"Just enjoying some fresh air and looking for some pic-a-nic baskets?" Ranger Nick glared at Xander for that, and the young man got serious, "Sorry. Look, I'll be honest, I'm doing a road trip and I ran out of money so I decided to crash here tonight. I figured no one would look for me."

The ranger eyed him for a moment before saying, "You've read Kerouac, right?"

Xander gave a self-deprecating laugh before nodding his head.

"Didn't know you kids still do that." Ranger Nick grinned slightly as he leaned against the car, "I did the same back in 77, long before you were even a thought. Wound up spending more than a few nights just pulled over on a dirt road, sleeping till it was time to go again."

"Already done it a few times." Xander groaned while readjusting himself in his seat, "I spent almost a week in my car back in Oregon."

"Yeah, can't say I blame you. In my day, a man could just find a spot for cheap, not like how it is now. You gotta sell a kidney to afford stuff these days. How much longer's your trip?"

Xander explained how he was planning on winding things back down to California. The ranger nodded and turned his gaze up to the sky as he contemplated the situation. After getting a feel for the young man, Ranger Nick didn't see the need to place him in a cell, but he couldn't stay here. He knew of a couple of regulars who'd purchased cabins in the area that might be willing to have a guest, provided he worked to earn his keep. Somehow, he didn't think that would be a problem for this boy.

He nodded to himself as he came to a decision, "Alright, kid, I'll tell you what: I don't think you're a menace to society, so I'm not gonna bring you in. But I can't let you stay out here in these woods. So, how about you give me a lift to my jeep and I'll lead you up to my cabin? You can take my couch and, in the morning, I'll see about putting you to work."

Xander couldn't help but nod, instantly and vigorously. His trip had taught him the value of a couch, and his back was aching for one. As to the work, he was fine with that. It would at least earn him his keep, maybe even earn him enough to get back down to California. The ranger nodded and climbed into his car, pulling a radio from his belt to check in. Xander started his car up and drove back down along the dirt road he'd taken to get to that point in the woods.

"How far to your jeep?" Xander asked once the ranger was done.

"Not too far," the ranger said, "You actually really lucky, son. We've been having some problems out here these last few weeks."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, had a few hikers go missing," Ranger Nick elaborated, "This happens, y'know, but these hikers were experienced. One of them I've known for twelve years, and he's been up here every summer, hiking, camping and fishing. He knows this park, least as well as I do."

"What happened to them?"

"Dunno about most of 'em, but one we found," the ranger shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the weather, "Man had a hole in him, went straight through to the other side. I ain't never seen anything like that. Not in all my years in these woods. I've seen folks eaten, mauled and just plain destroyed, but nothing like that. That ain't a fate you want, son."

"No, Sir, it is not," Xander said seriously, a little too seriously; he was beginning to get an old feeling, one he knew way too well. "Anything else strange?"

"Animals dropping dead," the ranger said, "That one's a little more generic. We think there's a new predator in town, got forced out of its home up North. This might be something we've never seen before, though. Thing took out a bear, left nothin' but the head."

"Think it might be connected?"

"I doubt it." the man stated calmly, "If this thing could take apart a bear, why would it leave a man nearly whole expect _for_ a giant hole?"

"Maybe it didn't like the taste," Xander suggested, though he inwardly doubted it.

The ranger seemed displeased hearing him talk like that, but he had to acknowledge the point, " _Maybe_. You can go ahead and slow down, it's just around this bend."

Xander turned the corner and came upon a clearing where a tan jeep with police lights was parked. He pulled to a stop just beside it and let the ranger get out.

"I'll drive slow as I can," Ranger Nick said as he walked towards the jeep, "These roads can mess up a car like nobody's..."

"Ranger?" Xander asked, concerned for the man's sudden silence.

The man shushed him and crouched down, turning his flashlight on. He was standing in a pit, about five inches deep, from what Xander could see. The young man got out of his car and stepped over to him, watching as the ranger felt the earth with his hand.

Finally, the man righted himself and turned to Xander, "This is unreal."

He stepped out of the pit and shined his light down, allowing the Scooby a full view of it. Immediately, both his eyes bulged as he recognized what he was seeing. The pit was roughly two feet long and about a foot and a half wide. There were three long, wide triangles on the left side that went deeper into the earth at the end, and to the far right, past the edge of the pit, was a hole no larger than six centimeters. The hole was so deep, it was pure black. Xander had a suspicion that if he were to stick his finger down the hole, he wouldn't be able to feel the bottom.

"You ever seen tracks like that?" Xander muttered, his voice trembling a little.

"This ain't _Jurassic Park_ , kid," the ranger whispered back, "Those tracks're fresh, like _real_ fresh. Whatever made 'em just came by."

The ranger moved swiftly over to his jeep and opened it up, pulling out a shotgun as he said, "Get your keys, kid, we're taking my jeep and tear-assing back to the station. Ain't no way we're fuckin' with somethin' that big."

That was an attitude Xander approved of wholeheartedly. The ranger started the jeep up while Xander returned to his car. He quickly grabbed his keys and turned off the engine, but the moment he did, he paused. There was a new sound, a sound that he did not like, not even a little. He glanced up, careful not to move his head too much.

There, in the dark, were a great pair of eyes staring at him. If he were to spread his arms out on either side as far as he could, he suspected his hands would be about as far apart as those eyes were. They were a dull green, barely reflecting the light from the jeep. Xander stayed as still as he possibly could, his eyes locked on the beast. He took slow, shallow breaths, his body tense as fear gripped him. This was a familiar sensation, one he'd experienced many times back in Sunnydale. But the only time he'd been faced with something that large had been the Mayor. Something told him this wasn't the Mayor, and if it was, well, he was royally screwed.

"Kid," Xander didn't turn as the ranger whispered to him, "Don't move. I'm gonna fire a warning shot, see if I can scare it off."

Xander highly doubted it would work, but he wasn't in any position to argue. The ranger aimed his shotgun straight up and fired off a blast, causing Xander to wince as he heard it. The creature, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice.

"Ok," the ranger whispered, "I'm not gonna do that again, kid. Might need the shells. I want you to slowly, very calmly, back away from it. Don't turn your back on it, that might signal it to-"

The ranger's radio went off, a sharp, static noise that drew both Xander and Ranger Nick's gaze. The instant Xander took his eyes off the creature, it pounced. Xander looked up as it let out a vicious, blood curdling roar, growing immensely larger as it leaped at him. The young man dove to his left, just barely getting out of the way. The creature smashed into his car and, in a devastating crunch of metal and glass, it was destroyed. The sheer momentum the creature had used propelled it forward, though, and it rolled into a heavy tree with such force that it shook and swayed as though hit by a hurricane.

"GET IN THE JEEP!" the ranger shouted, releasing shot after shot at the massive beast.

Xander rose from the ground and pulled out his pistol, taking shots as he backed away to the jeep. The ranger stepped backward as he shot, and the two climbed into the jeep. The creature had risen by this time and seemed to not have felt their shots at all. So when the ranger pushed down on the accelerator, it snarled at them and took off. The two men felt the thudding from the massive claws as the beast came for them, and heard the snap of its jaws.

"What the fuck is that thing!?" Xander shouted.

"Hell if I know!" Ranger Nick responded. He picked up the radio in the jeep, his vehicle bouncing up and down, "Station 11, this is Nick, we've got an unknown big fuckin' thing chasing me in my jeep!"

Nothing but static came from the device. With a massive growl, the ranger tossed the radio aside and pushed down even harder on the gas. The creature let out a thundering roar that reminded Xander of Godzilla. They came upon a turn in the road and the ranger turned sharply, not even slowing down. The force of the speed and the sharp turn caused the top-heavy vehicle to lift from the right side, so high that Xander thought it was going to fall over.

Their bodies were jerked back violently as they felt a massive force hit them from beneath and the world became a hazy, spinning whirlwind. His head hit the ceiling and the dashboard several times, busting open in a stinging spray of blood. They rolled around until coming to a sudden stop as the roof caved in at a sharp angle, driving itself down into Xander and Nick's heads. The Sunnydalian felt his entire world blur in front of him and couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of bile burst up from his stomach.

His vision was fluid, like he was in the water although he knew he was perfectly dry. He felt a strange, pulling sensation, the kind he associated with going to sleep. His mind drifted back to one other occasion, the time when his arm had been broken and he'd lost consciousness just before Willow had tried to ensoul Angel. The same dizzy and sinking sensation had hit him then, and he'd known that it was bad. This time, it was even worse. He couldn't feel his body, though he could see a trickle of blood hitting the olive material beneath him.

That olive fabric reminded him of someone, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember who. All he knew for sure was that something was terribly wrong. The metal was warped and broken, with parts of it exposing the ground below them and the air above them. The night was warm, but to him, it was very cold. The sinking feeling was pulling him down even further, and he believed he was hallucinating. The ground shook with heavy _thumps_ , strong enough to lift the metal off the ground. He turned his head to look up at what had been his side's window and blinked. His vision went completely black before grudgingly returning with spots littering his view. He decided that he must be hallucinating, because there was no possible way what he was seeing was real.

Hovering over the door was a massive creature, easily three or four times as large as him. The creature had a large, long head with jutting teeth that were easily as long as his hand. Its scales shined brightly in the dim light, and he felt something dripping off the beast onto his body. He couldn't say what it was, but he was hoping it was just water. Its eyes were a dull green and slanted like a cat's, and it seemed to be considering him. He could see something behind the eyes, some kind of an...intelligence. Its face seemed damaged somehow, dented. It was like someone had taken a hammer and driven it into its face. There were scars, some fairly fresh, that spread all around its face and neck.

He felt his breath flee as the beast slowly came down into the overturned vehicle, the metal creaking and bending against the massive weight of the beast. Its nostrils (which were large enough that he could shove his arms inside) took in his scent, seemingly considering him for its dinner. The roof of the jeep ground out a devastating whine as it opened its mouth, giving Xander a glimpse at the vicious looking fangs behind its scaly maw. He saw two fangs larger than the rest, situated right beneath where its eyes would be. They seemed to grow longer as he stared at the creature and, well, he must be hallucinating now. There was a glow emanating from where the fangs met the roof of the mouth, an venomous green glow that followed along the veins in the tooth until they reached the jagged point. A speck of liquid dripped from the fang and fell down onto his arm and it began to sizzle and smoke.

He was surprised he couldn't feel it, but then, it was probably a good thing. The beast leaned away from the jeep, getting ready to strike out, and Xander's senses returned to him. He'd faced death before, of course, lots of times. But this was one time Buffy wouldn't be there to save him. So, he did the only thing he could think to do: he tried to save himself.

He had the gun in his hand, though how it got there, he couldn't say. Maybe he'd never let it go. He knew it wasn't empty, the slide was closed and the hammer was back. He had one, maybe two rounds left. It wouldn't be enough, he knew, but damned if he'd go down without a fight. He dragged his arm up and leveled it with the nose, hoping that he could send a bullet straight up its nostril and into its brain. It probably wouldn't hurt the beast, but it might make it go away. He squeezed it as hard as he could; he was scared he wouldn't be able to apply enough force. He felt his arm jerk hard to the right as the shell hit his cheek before rolling off. He saw the beast jerk back away from him and heard it emit an eerie groan, like a ship groaning against the wind. It cried out and snarled, getting off the vehicle with enough force to twist it back around the tree it had hit. The gun fell from his hand and he screamed as his entire body went livid with pain, but his own scream was drowned out as another inhuman cry burst out from the creature. His body vibrated a few times as several loud, hard thumps echoed from outside. They were followed immediately by the sounds of earth shifting and the groan of falling trees.

Something had happened to the creature.

He heard voices outside, all of them shouting at once some strange word he didn't recognize. Then, there was silence. He realized they must have killed the creature, whoever had come. If he could, he'd thank them, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to. His entire body felt like one massive bruise, his head was pounding and his blood was all over the metal and his flesh. Even though he had a greater sense of things now, he still was woozy in the head and he was having difficulty processing what was going on around him. He was likely in shock, too.

And possibly hallucinating again, or so he thought when a head popped out from the passenger door. It belonged to a brunette girl around his age, and her mouth was wide-open as she stared down at him.

"Shit," she stated, turning to her left and shouting, "We got muggles here! They need help!"

She pulled out a long, thin stick from her jacket and pointed it at him then said "Mobilicorpus!" He felt his body lighten as he began to drift up towards her. He saw her stand up on the car and kept pointing her stick at him, guiding him up through the wreckage of the jeep before depositing him gently on the ground. Even though she had set him down as gently as possible, he felt his body cry out in agony and his entire world darken.

When he came to, he was no longer staring into the face of a brunette girl. Instead, a burly man with long, red hair was kneeling over him. He was pouring a strange, blue liquid over the wound on Xander's arm and, while he felt a bit sore, the young Sunnydalian had to admit, he felt a lot better.

"Wha-what happened? I saw a...thing."

"Yeah, a Canadian Angont," the man spoke with a British accent, and seemed as though he were speaking about the weather, "Vicious little bugger, but you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

There was a note of sympathy in his voice, but somehow, Xander got the sense that the man was mad at him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Charlie Weasley," the man introduced himself as he put a cork in the bottle of blue liquid, "And you?"

"Xander Harris. Um, so, what's a Canadian Angus?"

" _Angont_ ," Charlie corrected, "A Canadian drake, very poisonous. This one's been attacked, too, driven out of its native land. Not to mention blinded in one eye, thanks to you."

"Charles," a soft, melodious voice called out, and a cute, blonde girl set her hand down on Charlie's shoulder, squatting down beside him, "Don't be mean. He's no idea what he's done."

"...Sorry, mate." Charlie offered with a sigh, "Don't mean too much by it."

Charlie clapped him gently on the shoulder and stepped away from him. The blonde girl looked after him for a moment before turning to Xander, "Don't mind him too much. He's got the creckles."

"...Creckles?" Xander asked, bemused.

"They're cousins of wrackspurts," the girl told him, "You said your name was Xander, right? How odd."

"Oh, yeah? Well, who're you?"

"I'm Luna," the girl smiled at him, "How are you feeling?"

He paused to consider before answering, "I'm actually feeling...ok."

"You should be," Luna said dreamily, "You barely had a scratch on you, least compared to your friend."

"Friend?" Xander asked, and it all came back to him. Xander's eyes widened in fear before turning his head in every direction, finding the ranger lying on the ground several feet to his right with Charlie kneeling over him. Xander rose to his feet, ignoring the soreness in his limbs and chest and made his way over to Ranger Nick. He sank down to his knees and stared down at the ranger. He was massively bruised, the same as him, but otherwise he wasn't too worse off than Xander. It didn't make any sense. Xander remembered, if only in vague bits, how hard the crash had been.

"Nick?" Xander asked, but he saw the man was unconscious.

"It's a bit odd," Charlie muttered, turning his eyes on Xander, "This man had five broken bones, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. If we'd even been several minutes later, I don't think he would have survived. But you...massive bruising and a nasty head wound, along with your arm. How's it feeling?"

Xander held up his right arm; there was a large, garish blight on it, a burn mark that was shining in the night sky.

"It stings a bit," Xander admitted.

"And that's all," Charlie frowned lightly, "It's just a bit odd. Brilliant for you, but odd, all the same."

Xander paused for a moment to consider the man in front of him. He was a short, stocky man, though not an ounce of it was fat. He had very strong arms and several long healed burns. He was dressed in a pair of workmen's boots, jeans, a black shirt and a brown leather cutoff jacket. The jacket looked odd to him, somewhat...scaly.

Charlie followed his gaze and couldn't help but give a little smile, "Dragon scales, mate. Taken off one of my favorites, Reggie. Great beast, that. When he shed, there was so much left, we were able to make everyone a jacket."

"I would have taken one myself, but brown never was my color," Luna smiled, joining them, "If Albus sheds in the next few months then I'll take one. A deep blue dragon, same color as my house."

"House?" Xander asked.

"Oh yes, I quite miss it," Luna said, her eyes lifting up in thought, "Even if they would take my shoes sometimes."

He gave her an awkward smile, not quite sure what to say or do. Luna, like Charlie, was wearing a pair of boots, jeans and a jacket, though hers was just a blue flannel number with a strange, silver badge on it.

"What's...'MAC?'" he asked, reading off the badge. He received only a smile for his trouble before Luna turned and looked off into the distance behind him.

He turned and let out a frightened gasp at what he saw. It was the same creature as before, but now he could get a good look at it. It was longer than a school bus, and at least as wide. The legs were the size of oak trees and its tail as big as his car. The beast had massive, sharp spikes sticking out of its back and tail. They ground the metal chains that had been wrapped around the beast, but there was something off about them. Some of them appeared to be missing. Its back was terribly scarred and it appeared to be burnt a bit, as though something had tried to attack it from its side.

"What happened to it?"

"Most recently, you." Xander turned his head to the right, towards the tail of the great beast, and saw the brunette once again. She was strikingly beautiful, dressed in a pair of jeans and boots like the rest, but she wore a black shirt and a red flannel jacket. She was staring him down, just barely not glaring at him.

"Robin," Charlie admonished, "It's not his fault."

"It _literally_ is his fault," Robin disagreed, "He's the one who shot the angont in the eye!"

"Well, it _was_ about to eat him," Luna reminded her, twirling her wand in her fingers before sticking it behind her ear, "I can't say I blame him too much."

Robin glared, but didn't refute the point.

"Ok, who the Hell are you people?!" Xander demanded, having reached the end of his patience.

"We're with Magical Animal Control," Charlie stated, "Well, rather, Robin is; we're just consultants."

"I was helping contain a pack of drakes that were too close to a muggle campsite when we were attacked," Robin said, "Two of them were taken by poachers, the other three ran. When we finally found one, the alpha, she'd been badly injured and was on the border. The MACUSA allowed me passage across and contacted Charlie's Romanian dragon program."

"We're considering relocating the animals overseas if we can't stop the poachers," Charlie picked up, "How's the drake?"

"Drake?" Xander asked, confused.

"Drakes are a breed of dragon that don't have wings," Charlie answered, "I'm sorry, mate, but we need to finish securing the angont. Give us a minute, yeah?"

Xander nodded, not really sure what else to say. Something was wrong here, and as he watched the three...wizards, he figured, gather around the 'drake,' he considered what was going on. It sounded like he'd stumbled on something magical and dangerous, which put this squarely in Hellmouth territory. He wished he had a cell phone or something, so he could call up Giles. He probably would have heard about this 'Magical Animal Control' and what Medusa was. Especially with how open these folks were being with him.

A hint of fear slithered down his spine. They were being _very_ open on the details with him, far more open than he would ever be if he were in their position. Why, though? Were they just being honest, or was it pity? He had been pretty banged up. Though even that didn't make sense, considering how easily 'Charlie' healed him. He dismissed pity easily enough, but that lead him back around to the question: why were they telling him so much?

Luna had set down a large suitcase and, with the tap of her wand, it expanded to the size of a large shipping container. The three wizards gathered around the 'drake' and shouted 'Mobilicorpus' at once, and the large beast was lifted up off the ground. As they guided it gently into the case, Xander's mind clicked. 'Robin' had said three drakes had fled into America, and one of them had been found. This made the second one they had found in the States...which meant there was one more left.

They were trying to gain his confidence so they could question him. That actually didn't bother him too much. If they were tracking these things to keep them away from humans, then he had absolutely no problem with that. Shit, he'd help out if they'd let him. Though as he watched these three wizards guide the massive beast into the case, he couldn't help but shiver slightly. On second thought, he could stand being on the sidelines for this one.

But even as he considered this, one more thought found its way into his mind. If they wanted to question him, what would happen after he helped them? Would they simply let him go? Looking at them, at their power, he found himself doubtful. No one with that kind of power, let alone an entire organization, ever just let people know about them. His thoughts turned to the Mayor as he considered this, and he couldn't help but feel this was the truth. They were disarming him, making him lower his guard. They would get whatever they needed from him, then they'd kill him.

But would they? He considered each of them. Charlie struck him as a capable fellow, even as an ex-soldier, but not a cold-blooded assassin. Luna...nope, not a chance. Robin...possibly. She struck him as a bit like Buffy and Faith, strong and capable. If killing someone was the norm for them, then she might be the one to do it.

He came out of his thoughts in time to see the beast fully inside the case. It was somewhat staggering, actually, to see the kind of power these people wielded. Willow took a lot of control to levitate a pencil, let alone make a suitcase the size of a freakin' semi. For them, it was like child's play. The three wizards stepped outside the case and, once they were off to the side, Luna once again tapped it with her wand and, with an audible snap that frightened several birds, it shrank and slammed shut. Robin stepped forward and picked the case up, carrying it as if it were empty.

With a groan, Charlie stretched and turned towards Xander. The redhead settled down to a squatting position, running a hand through his long hair as he looked Xander in the eye.

"So," Charlie started, "I imagine you have a few more questions, and I want to answer them. But-"

"You have questions of your own," Xander surmised.

"Right in one," Charlie agreed.

"Are you willing to help?" Robin asked, her arms folded as she looked down on him.

"I want one question answered before I do," Xander said, "What happens after I answer?"

"You sign a piece of paper, and when you do, you'll _never_ be able to tell anyone what happened," Robin said; there was an edge to her voice, a kind of harshness that struck Xander oddly. It sounded like she was overcompensating, trying to be meaner than she actually was. She was lying, and she was lying badly.

"I don't think he believes you," Luna said with a small smile, "I wouldn't believe you either. You have a grumpy face."

"I do _not_ have a grumpy face!" Robin said in shock.

"Kind of a grumpy face," Charlie shrugged.

"You're kind of a grumpy face!" Robin shouted.

"Ok, that makes no sense," Xander commented.

"It _literally_ makes perfect sense!" Robin responded.

"Okay, okay," Xander grinned lightly, "Tell me the truth, guys. No bullcrap. What's gonna happen?"

"I'm going to point my stick at you," Luna lifted her wand, "Say something, you'll fall asleep and wake up in your cart, and you won't remember a thing."

"Y'know it's not normal procedure to tell the muggle they're about to be obliviated, right?" Robin inquired.

"He don't seem like a normal human to me, bit too...calm," Charlie figured, "You've seen stuff, magic, haven't you?"

Xander could only nod. He didn't want to give them too much, but he didn't want to be mind-wiped either.

"Well, if he'd been indoctrinated into the Secrecy Statutes, he wouldn't even need to ask who we are," Robin reasoned, "So..."

"Either way, we gotta do this," Charlie muttered, not really liking the idea, "Listen, we'll try and make this as painless as possible. We'll fix your car up, give you some money. That's the best we can do for you."

Xander frowned; he didn't like the idea of being mind-wiped, but from what they were telling him, he wouldn't have a choice. These people didn't seem like they wanted to hurt him, well, not really anyway. They seemed like they were just doing their jobs, which didn't provide Xander much comfort. He hated being in this situation, but...he'd have to make the best of it.

"Can you make my car not about to fall apart? With lots of cash?"

Charlie grinned, "Muggle lotteries are pretty easy to fix."

"And as for your car, well," Robin clicked her tongue and flipped her wand in her hand, "A '57

Belair isn't that great, but um, I think I can help ya with that."

"Know much about cars?"

"Dad's muggle-born," Robin grinned, "Taught me loads of car stuff. It was the only way he could connect with his magical daughter."

"Groovy," Xander muttered wondering what 'muggle' meant, "Alright, I guess the first thing you want to know is if I've seen any others? No, no I haven't, and I can safely say that, cause that thing is Godzilla's baby boy and it's freakin' terrifying. I'd know another one if I saw it."

Charlie nodded, "I thought as much, but we had to be sure. I have another question, though. Have you seen any other witches or wizards out here? Anyone acting oddly, maybe?"

Xander shook his head, "I haven't been in town very long. I've spent most of my time in the woods. It's cheaper and I like the stars."

Robin, Charlie and Luna nodded at that. Luna smiled, "I like the stars, too. Takes my mind off the wrackspurts."

"I dunno what those are, but I've always felt better looking at the stars," Xander smiled lightly, "Ever since I was a little kid. I'd spend as many nights as I could outside, or with a-a friend."

"I've spent lots of nights in the sanctuary, sleeping underneath the stars so we could care for the dragons," Charlie said, a nostalgic look on his face, " Can't wait to get back there."

With a groan, Charlie rose to his feet and pulled out his wand. Before pointing it at him, though, Charlie extended his hand to Xander and the Sunnydalian, after a moment of consideration, took his hand and let him lift him to his feet.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Xander. I just wish it could've been under different circumstances."

"Yeah, yeah, me too," Xander agreed.

With a gentle wave from Luna and a nod from Robin, Charlie raised his wand and leveled it against Xander's forehead. He muttered some strange word and, then, all was darkness.


	2. 2

Legends and Monsters

Disclaimer: I own none of the intellectual properties used for this fanfiction. No profit is being gained.

Summary: Xander meets some interesting people while on his summer vacation. Oh, and a freaking dragon, too.

XXX

There had been a bird's nest outside Xander's window during his senior year. Every day, they'd start singing before the sun came up, and every day, he'd wake up grumpy. Finally, after Buffy came back, the birds left the nest and no other had come to claim it. For the first week, he still rose early, so accustomed to that kind of schedule that he had to actively remind himself there were no birds outside. A part of him, strange as it was, began to miss the birds. He'd spend some mornings lying in bed, listening to them. He'd come up with names for them (usually Joyce for the mom, Giles for the dad and either one of his friends or Amy Yip for the chicks), give them little stories in his head before he finally mustered up the will to leave the comfort of his bed. After several weeks of silence and sleeping in, though, his nostalgia for the birds waned considerably.

Apparently, some other bird had finally come to claim the nest, because now it was chirping very loudly outside his window. It must have decided to tell the whole bird world about his new nest and throw the largest nest-warming party ever, as that singular bird was accompanied by an entire chorus. The young man turned onto his side, hoping the sound would dissipate if he were facing away from the window. It did nothing to ease his suffering, but it did bring more light through his eyelids. Had he mistakenly flipped over to face the window instead of his room?

Mentally preparing himself for an assault of light, he gently nudged one eyelid open. Before him was a strange blue/white leather cushion, almost resembling a car seat. He decided he must have gone to bed in Uncle Rory's car again. His parents were likely on the bottle and he hadn't wanted to deal with that, all perfectly reasonable in his mind. No reason to get upset, or to wake up. Closing his eye again, he allowed himself to relax.

At least until a faint memory stirred in him. A huge lizard, Godzilla's baby boy-

Xander sat up in a start, his heart racing. _Holy shit, he thought to himself, A dragon?! A 'drake' or whatever? And those three wizards. Oh fuck._

 _Robin, the beautiful brunette. Luna, the charming blonde. Charlie, the rugged redhead. Two Brits, one Canadian. They burned in his mind like a fire, along with the Canadian Angus and that huge suitcase. It can't have all been a dream, he didn't have that kind of imagination. Even if he considered all he'd seen in the past three years, there was no way his mind would ever come up with that kind of nonsense. He sat up and looked at his car, stunned to find it completely repaired. He climbed out of the seat and opened the hood to look at the engine. Before, it had several parts that were in need of repair, along with rust on several parts of the engine. Now, the engine looked pristine, as though he had just bought it off the factory floor._

 _"Holy shit," he muttered, his eyes wide as it all hit him, "The ranger."_

 _Even with all the evidence in front of him, Xander just had to know. He climbed into the driver's seat and started her up, pleased to find that it sounded so much better than he'd ever heard it. That woman, Robin, had kept her word. He wondered how much work she had put into it and hoped he could somehow repay her._

 _When he reached the station, the young Sunnydalian stepped inside. It was a log cabin with a forest green carpet. There were several maps of the woods lining the walls, along with a notice board displaying facts about the woods, camping sites and dangers to beware of. He noted the absence of Canadian Angus's, which somewhat reassured him that what he had seen was real. If it was unknown in the real world, then it had to be Hellmouthy. Behind the welcome desk sat a woman about ten years his senior, dressed in the same olive fatigues the ranger had before. She had black hair and a pair of deep, red glasses. He figured they were supposed to match her heinously red lipstick, but they only served to make her look somewhat like a clown. He suppressed an involuntary shudder; he'd always hated clowns._

 _The woman was identified by her name tag as 'Holloway' and she was not in a good mood. Her eyes were latched to a book entitled 'Washington State Forestry Laws and Policies.'_

 _"Good morning," he said, causing her to detach her eyes from the book and stare at him, "Um, I'm looking for a-a Ranger Nick...something."_

 _"You dunno his last name, eh?" Holloway sighed, returning her eyes to the book, "Well, the good news is there's only one 'Ranger Nick' in this department. Bad news, he's busy. Some rookies from up north are talking to him, you'll have to wait."_

 _"Rookies?" Xander asked, his mind returning to the previous night, "Two girls, brunette and blonde with a redhead dude?"_

 _Holloway turned her gaze fully to him, a curious look in her eyes, "You've met them, huh? Work with them?"_

 _"No ma'am. Saw them on the way in, they looked like they had something big going on."_

 _"Oh yeah, something big alright," Holloway set down the book finally, "Something so big Nick had to set aside this morning's complaints about wildlife getting too close to the campsites, possible polluters dropping off chemicals in the river. He even had to set aside a departmental meeting about our vacation schedules to see those kids. And why? Cause they wanna know about some holes."_

 _"Holes?" Xander asked, using what he thought to be a good amount of mild curiosity._

 _"Well, caves, really," the woman continued her gossip, eager to share now that she had an audience, "They say they're from the federal level, wanting some information about cave formations. I say bull to that, anyone with a brain knows you can just look through the pamphlets and get a list of caves in the area. No, they're after something else."_

 _Xander made a show of glancing left to right, making sure they were absolutely alone before leaning in and whispering, "D'you think it's drugs?"_

 _Holloway hesitated for a moment before making up her mind and leaning forward as well, "A while back, one of the rangers found someone had made themselves a little nest in one of the caves. They'd set up a nice little site, filled with some special mushrooms."_

 _Xander gasped, "You don't say!"_

 _"I do," Holloway nodded vigorously, "And I'd bet my pension that's what those rookies are here for, doing some research on where someone could set themselves up a business."_

 _Xander nodded along, "So where d'you think Cheech and Chong would do that?"_

 _"There're the Big Four Caves near Mount Baker, of course," she said, "Those are massive tourist areas, though. No, I'd imagine one of the old mines would be best. They're off the paths, for the most part. We had one report last week, in fact, that some hikers heard strange noises coming from Blackwell Mine. You ask me, that's where someone might be doing some dirty dealings. You didn't hear that from me, of course."_

 _Xander reassured her he would keep his mouth shut and politely excused himself, but not before picking up one of the pamphlets. Once he was outside, the young man got into his car and opened the pamphlet. As he'd suspected, Blackwell Mine was less than a mile from where he'd seen the Angus and the wizards. He figured it would be where he'd find the wizards tonight._

 _That brought him to a question: did he want to find them? When he'd overheard Buffy and Giles that fateful day, he couldn't help himself. He'd had to confront her with what he knew. In the end, it'd been the best and the worst thing to happen in his life. He'd found a purpose, made a great friend and had helped saved the world. It all came with a terrible cost. Jesse's death haunted him, and sometimes he'd wondered if he'd lived if Buffy hadn't come into their lives. Even if he had, though, he doubted the world could have survived without her._

 _But he wasn't Buffy, and this wasn't his fight. Why would he choose to get involved? And was it safe to do so? He knew they'd tried to wipe his mind, but they'd also salvaged his car. He didn't know if that was normal for them, he figured it had to be. Why bother wiping his mind if they were gonna leave evidence behind? Unless they could modify his mind, make him think he'd wrecked it himself. That would probably be easier. Professor X could change a person's memory easy, but it'd take Magneto to fix a car. If that were the case, then they'd done him a favor by fixing his car. They'd done more than necessary, gone out of their way to help him._

 _But would their generosity last if they discovered their spell hadn't worked?_

 _He didn't want an answer to that question. If he got one, he very much doubted he would like it. As nice as they were to him, and as much as he'd like to find out more and help...he couldn't risk them finding out he remembered everything._

 _His mind made up, Xander turned the engine over and drove away._

 _XXX_

 _He had a few hours left till sundown, so Xander decided to grab some chow before hitting the road. There was a Double-Meat Palace up the road from the forest and he figured he had just enough money to afford gas and a small meal before taking off. He pulled into the lot and let out a groan; the drive-thru line reached all the way to the edge of the street, and there was a line of people out to the street. He put the car in reverse to get out of line, but someone had already pulled up behind him and he didn't have enough room to duck out from the side. Frowning, the young man settled into his seat and flipped on the radio._

 _"Comin' atcha now, KACL 780 talk radio. Our top story this afternoon, the Washington Education Lottery has announced the winning ticket to last night's 6 million dollar jackpot was sold in a gas station just outside Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. So far, the winner has not yet submitted their ticket, but they have until 5 o'clock Friday afternoon to do so. If it were me, I'd already have that 6 mil in the bank! That bein' said, let's send it on down to our next-"_

 _Xander shut down the radio, his heart leaping into his throat. His hands raced through his pockets, but came up empty. He reached for the glove compartment and pushed it open. There, on top of his stack of insurance and registration papers, lay a crisp Washington Education Lottery ticket. He'd never bought one._

 _"Six million." Xander jumped up in his seat when he heard the line start honking at him. He looked up and saw the line had moved up at least 3 car-lengths. He pulled forward and found enough room to get out of line, parking in the back of the lot. He pulled out the ticket and stared at it, his breath coming in heaving gasps._

 _"Six million," he repeated, his voice softened by awe, "Holy..."_

 _They'd said it was easy to fix a lottery. He'd completely forgotten they'd said that and, honestly, if he'd remembered he doubted he would've believed them. When someone tells you they can rig a lottery, you just shake your head and go 'yeah, right.' But this wasn't the case. They'd kept their word, and as a result, he was now a millionaire._

 _He pulled out and hit the road as fast as he could, completely ignoring the horns and shouts coming his way. The only thing he cared about was getting to Blackwell Mine as fast as he could. These people had kept their word and decided to completely change his life, and all because he'd helped them out a bit. He hadn't even really done that much, but here he was, six million dollars richer._

 _Memory spells be damned, he was going to find them._

 _XXX_

 _He parked about a mile from Blackwell Cave and decided to trek through the woods the rest of the way. He wasn't sure what he'd see, or even if they'd figured out the Angus could be there. But it was his best bet to find them. He would help them if he could and, if he couldn't, he'd at least be there to thank them for what they did._

 _The mine was set along a ridge and across from a large hill, almost forming a valley. He approached from the hilltop and hid himself behind one of the larger trees, eyeing the mine down below. He couldn't hear or see anything coming from inside, but that didn't mean anything. He had no idea how deep that mine could be, let alone if it was intact. He wasn't planning on finding out, at least not until the wizards arrived._

 _"I'm sitting on a hill looking at a potentially dragon infested cave waiting on some wizards," Xander muttered serenely, "Best game of DnD ever!"_

 _He waited about half an hour before something happened. A golden retriever trotted along the ridge, its nose down along the ground sniffing at everything it could. As it got closer to the mine, the dog began to slow, its nose going into overdrive. It cautiously approached the entrance of the mine and, when it was only a few feet away, the dog stopped altogether. It took a long whiff from the air and abruptly turned and ran away._

 _"Well, guess it's in there," Xander said, a note of fear in his voice. He really wasn't looking forward to seeing another one of those Angus's again and, assuming the wizards could handle themselves, had no intention of interfering. Once they had the beast, he would announce himself and walk down. At least, that was his plan. Hopefully they would be nice about it. He didn't think he'd be able to do anything if they were to attack him, but he doubted they'd do that. He wasn't a threat to them._

 _He watched for another few minutes until something strange began to happen. His instincts were beginning to heighten a bit and he felt eyes on him. He straightened himself up and looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. Every now and then his eye would catch sight of something moving behind a tree or a rock, but this was the forest. Of course there would be animals around. Still, he couldn't get that sense of unease out of his mind. It was so strong he couldn't help but pull out his pistol and pull the slide back, putting a round into the chamber. If something was about to sneak up on him, he wanted to be ready._

 _Voices distracted him from his concern. Walking up along the ridge were three people: a brunette, a blonde, and a redhead. His face lit up in a smile, pleased to see the wizards from last night._

 _"You sure it was this mine?" he heard Charlie ask._

 _"Oh yeah," Robin declared, "Smelled the exact same as the angont from last night."_

 _"Really? The exact same, you say?" Luna asked dreamily, her eyes on the sky as she flipped her wand up and down in her hands._

 _"Definitely," Robin reiterated, "So, what's our plan again? Cause it seems a little...thin."_

 _"It's not thin, it's simple," Charlie retorted, "We flush it out, catch it. No problem."_

 _"Ok, fine, so it's simple, but is it good?" Robin continued._

 _"We tried one of your plans last time," Luna said, "I believe we ended up catching it cause it wanted to dine on that helpful muggle."_

 _"He wasn't that helpful," Robin sulked._

 _"He didn't know what we needed, but he believed us." Charlie stated, "On the other hand, the ranger refused to believe us. Thought we were an acid flashback. Blimey, this country. Makes me wonder what the Secrecy Statutes mean out here, with all the oddities you Americans indulge in."_

 _"I'm not an American, how many times do I gotta tell you, I'm Canadian," Robin said loudly, "Still, just cause he believed us isn't enough reason to fix a lottery. I know Britain may not care that much, but it's a miracle the MACUSA didn't say anything about it!"_

 _"It's the lottery, Robin," Charlie sighed, "Those games are so random, there's no chance the law can be broken by fixing them."_

 _"But 6 million?!?! Isn't that a bit excessive?!" Robin asked._

 _"It is, a bit," Luna agreed._

 _"Thank you!"_

 _"Alright, alright," Charlie said, "Blimey, I didn't mean to give him 6 million. I meant 6 thousand, I just...gave him the wrong numbers."_

 _That brought the girls up short, just 20 yards from the mine. They were staring at their redheaded companion in complete shock (a look Xander shared from up the hill), an accomplishment for someone as flighty as Luna Lovegood._

 _"He's a millionaire...because you gave him the wrong numbers?" Robin demanded._

 _"Bloody Hell," Luna whispered, shaking her head, "You had your head in the clouds on that one, Charles."_

 _It was the man's turn to stare in shock, "Luna, you just told me my head's in the clouds? Luna 'Loony' Lovegood?"_

 _"You should be concerned," Robin smirked, "But let's tighten up a bit."_

 _"Indeed," Luna agreed, her voice growing dreamy once again, "Did you bring it?"_

 _Charlie nodded, reaching into his jacket and producing a large, red envelope._

 _"Really?" Robin asked._

 _"Really." Charlie smirked._

 _Xander watched as Luna and Charlie began to wave their wands around, conjuring a large mesh net out of thin air. Once they were finished, all three wizards cast a spell that turned the net invisible. Xander couldn't help but respect their power, but it made him feel better to know they acted like real people. When he got back home, he would have to tell Buffy, Willow and Giles about Charlie's mistake and how it made him a millionaire. He wondered if G-man had ever heard of wizards like this, but doubted it. He would have mentioned the use of wands when Willow started looking into magic and considering how often Willow liked to talk about magic, he would have heard about it._

 _Something rustled several yards away from him so he turned and looked. He didn't see anything but that feeling of unease began to intensify. Something was out there, and whatever it was, it was getting closer. He crouched down behind the tree even more, hoping to conceal himself better. Whatever was out there, if and when it attacked him, he'd deal with it. And if he couldn't, he'd run his ass down to the wizards as fast as he could._

 _The redheaded wizard set the red envelope down on the ground and made a swish and flick motion with his wand, causing the envelope to levitate in the air and by thrusting his wand forward he had the envelope fly into the mine. The three wizards gathered on the left side of the mine, their wands out and aimed at the mouth of the cave._

 _For a few long moments, nothing happened. Xander stared down at the mine, wondering if whatever they'd tried had failed. And then..._

 _EVERYBODY COME AND PLAY! THROW EVERY LAST CARE AWAY! LET'S GO TO THE MALL...TODAY!!_

 _The effect was instantaneous, and Xander had to resist the desire to drop on the deck as he heard the music. It was a low, grumbling sound that echoed loudly in the forest. Squirrels and birds took off in the opposite direction, drawing Xander's gaze away from the cave to glance at the wildlife. When he started to turn back, though, he caught sight of something that struck him as odd. There was a black thing on the ground, sort of lumpy and..._

 _Shit, he thought; there was a long, black metal tube extending from the thing, partially hidden behind a tree. It was pointed directly at the three wizards, and he had the sneaking suspicion that there were others out there he couldn't see._

 _His attention was drawn back to the mine and he saw the net latched around the Angus, and it was just as horrible as the last one, with one exception: it was much smaller. The other one was roughly the size of a school bus, at least as well as he could remember it. This one was about the size of a dog, maybe even the size of a donkey. It reminded him of a VW bug, the way its back hunched a bit. The three wizards pointed their wands at the struggling beast and said 'Stupefy!' as one, sending three bursts of red light into the bundle. It went very still, but even from this distance Xander could hear its steady breathing._

 _Robin abruptly walked up to Charlie and punched him solidly in the arm, so hard he actually had to step back a bit._

 _"You had to use that song?!" Robin shouted._

 _Charlie started laughing, apparently at some joke the two shared. Luna stared at the two for a moment before turning to Robin and saying, "I rather like that song. Though I haven't a clue what a mall is."_

 _This brought on a renewed fit of giggles from the redhead, who by this point was gasping when he could to get air in his lungs. Luna began to giggle herself, and even Robin began to crack a smile. Xander had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he appreciated what it was like for three good friends to share a joke together. It reminded him of what it was like to be with Willow and Buffy, way back in the beginning and only occasionally now. He envied them._

 _Xander took his eyes off the wizards and looked around for the threat he'd seen before but it had disappeared. He felt his chest tighten as he realized what this meant and began to creep toward where it had been, taking care to keep as silent as he could. When he reached the spot, he found evidence of a body. There were indentures in the ground, large ones that matched the pattern of elbows. Further ahead were two more indentures, these ones much more pronounced and smaller. They were spaced apart in a way Xander recognized immediately._

 _"Bipod," he whispered._

 _"We got the baby." He heard Robin say from down the hill, regaining his attention, "Least this way the mamma will be happy."_

 _"Quite right," Charlie said, stretching as he did, "Reckon my mum would be 'bout as out of sorts if separated from one of us."_

 _The older man paused for a moment, his gaze lost in the far-off distance. Xander recognized that look immediately. He'd seen it so many times on his friends, on his fellow students at Sunnydale, even on complete strangers. He watched as Luna came up to Charlie and laid a hand on his shoulder, though he didn't seem to notice. After a moment more, the redhead came back to the world and turned to Luna and whispered something Xander couldn't hear, but he saw her nod and say "I know, I miss him too." The two stayed like that a moment more before turning back to the Angus, which was still out cold._

 _"Right," Charlie muttered, "Let's get this one out of here."_

 _Luna was reaching into her pocket when it happened. Three soft snaps echoed out in the forest and the wizards were completely unprepared. Xander watched as they reached up along their necks and pulled at the darts. They stared at them in dull surprise before sliding to the ground in heaps around the Angus, their wands cluttering harmlessly along their sides. It was then that Xander realized just what kind of situation he'd walked into; men dressed in black BDUs were standing up on the hill, the closest about twelve yards away from him. He crouched down as fast as he could and lifted his pistol to the nearest one, just in case he turned. The man didn't even look his way, his gaze locked on the wizards. There were about ten of them, each armed with tranquilizer rifles. They moved in a silent way that made Xander uneasy. Though they stepped casually, as though they were hiking through the woods, their steps through the leaves and branches made not even the slightest sound. It was like they were ghosts._

 _The men reached the three wizards and the bound Angus and began checking them over, three men checking their pulses as the rest established a perimeter. They each looked up and nodded to one of them, likely their leader. The man reached along his gear and pushed the button on a walkie, saying "All clear." A loud pop echoed out in the wilderness among the men, but they gave no sign of concern. The person who'd joined them was a brunette witch dressed in forest green robes with a pointed hat. She was about fifty years old and had black, circular glasses that framed her face in such a way that it made her look like she was wearing goggles. She examined the area around them for a moment before turning to the leader and demanding "Report!"_

 _The man didn't flinch at her sharp, crisp voice as he answered, "We followed the wizards here from town and established a perimeter. They did not see us at all, ma'am. Once they'd captured the creature, we proceeded to sedate them. We checked their vitals and found them to be well. We did have a concern earlier: one of the men reported seeing a hiker several yards from his position. He displaced and when he checked, the hiker had walked away."_

 _The woman nodded, "In these thick woods, it's remarkably easy for hikers to wind up side-by-side and not even notice each other. Even so, we'd be wise to depart quickly." She reached into her robes and pulled out a long piece of rope, saying, "Portkey back. I will be along once I've modified their memories."_

 _The man nodded and took the rope, setting it out along the beast. Each of the men took hold of the rope and the leader muttered something Xander couldn't hear and, in an impressive display, the ten men and the beast vanished from sight._

 _Xander had seen enough to realize the wizards were in trouble and, as such, had begun making his way closer as silently as he could. By the time the witch knelt down over Robin, her wand pointed directly at the Canadian, Xander had gotten in range. He knew he couldn't take her prisoner. The wizards from last night proved that. He leveled his pistol up and took aim at her arm. He took a breath in and, as he let it out, squeezed the trigger. He'd been prepared for the recoil, but he wasn't prepared for what happened next. He'd forgotten to adjust his sights after last night's adventure, and they'd been horribly off ever since. As such, his shot that had been aimed at her arm veered the the left and entered her chest._


	3. 3

"No!" Xander shouted, racing forward to the witch as she collapsed to the ground. He slid to his knees and pulled her onto her back, eyeing the wound. It had entered on the left side of her body, just below the heart. He figured it had shattered bones and entered her lung. She was out cold and her breathing was ragged, stopping for moments at a time and then resuming in a series of short, moist breaths. He didn't have a phone, so he couldn't call for an ambulance. He turned towards the wizards and began shaking them one at a time, calling their names as loud as he could. Even as he did so, he knew it was a wasted effort. They would wake up once the tranquilizer made its way through their systems, and not a moment before.

He turned back to the witch and felt his heart drop. Her bloody chest was no longer rising and falling. He checked her pulse and found there was none. Xander laid his hands over the center of her chest, ignoring the blood, and began to push down. As he did so, he couldn't help but be reminded of the only other time he'd ever had to do this. He reached thirty and, as he leaned down to push air into her lungs, he saw Buffy's face in dim candlelight. He leaned back and started again, pushing even harder now. He had to revive her.

He kept at it for seven minutes, seven horrifying minutes in which he imagined the witch was each of his friends. He couldn't help it, and it made things so much worse. After seven minutes, he couldn't muster enough breath to lift her chest. He slid away from the woman, sitting and staring at the ground. He couldn't think, couldn't see. Everything was a blur that came and went like waves along the ocean. He felt like he was drowning.

 _I killed her..._

 _It was raining in the jungle. The sound reminded him of the thunderous sound of gunfire, a sound he desperately wanted out of his head. He was just a boy, a child. What was he doing so far from home?_

" _Look at me."_

 _He turned and saw himself, dressed in olive fatigues and a rifle in his hand. His face was painted green and black, all to blend in with this hostile setting._

" _You killed her." He said this without a hint of malice. For him, it was only a fact. "And you may need to kill again."_

" _I don't want to," he whispered._

" _No, but you'll have to. You're a man who cares about his friends. That makes you a capable killer."_

 _He stepped up so they were nose-to-nose._

" _Pull yourself together. Accept what's happened. If you don't act now, her allies will find you and the wizards. Stand up!"_

Xander jerked his head upward, his vision clearing. The sun was nearly gone from the sky. He glanced around him and found the three wizards still out cold while the woman was still very much dead. She had begun to pale considerably. He took a deep breath and rose to his feet, taking a moment to figure out his next move. It must have been at least half an hour since she'd died, so he figured someone would be here soon to check on her. He considered the wizards as well, who were still unconscious. She said she would modify their memories, presumably the same way they had planned to modify his own the night before. If that was the case, he doubted she would have left them in the woods alone. If she'd wanted them dead, she would have just killed them. That meant she had to have some way to revive them.

He sank back down to his knees and began checking her robes for any items. He found a small drawstring bag, her wand and a business card. It was white with the image of a green eagle with spread wings and the green medical symbol of two snakes crisscrossing a winged staff. Beneath the symbol were the words 'Chemerica. Unifying and strengthening America.'

He set the wand and card aside and opened the bag. It looked black, almost as though it were bottomless. For all he knew it was. He reached down into it and fished around for a moment, his hand passing by a number of items until he felt it touch glass. He withdrew it and found it to be a glass vial filled with an amber liquid. There was a paper wrapped around the vial that simply said _'Wake.'_

He nodded to himself, deciding it was meant to bring them back to consciousness. He reached the person closest to him, Robin, and opened the vial. He set it just beneath her nose, letting her smell it. Even he could smell it, though. It reminded him of honey.

Within seconds, the Canadian girl began stirring. She blinked several times, her eyes glassy and filled with sleep. She winced as she sat up, shaking her head to clear it. When she finally looked at him, her eyes widened.

"You?" she whispered, confused.

"Just your friendly neighborhood Xanderman," he joked, giving her a soft smile.

"How-"

"Later," he told her, "Right now, we need to wake them up and get everyone out of here."

Robin looked around and her mouth sprang open as she saw her friends unconscious and a dead woman mere feet away. To her credit, she recovered quickly and pulled out her wand. She pointed it at Charlie and said "Rennervate." She was surprised again when nothing happened.

Xander handed her the vial and she placed it underneath Charlie's nose. He began to stir almost immediately, so Robin did the same with Luna. Within moments, the two were trying to sit up, blinking rapidly as they began to awaken. Charlie was the first one to catch sight of Xander and he opened his mouth slightly, stunned to see him again.

Luna, on the other hand, just yawned and said, "Oh, it's you. Would you have any chocolate, by any chance?"

"Fresh out," Xander grinned, "But we can get some later. We need to get out of here."

Robin rose to her feet, pointing her wand at the body and whispering "Mobilicorpus." As she rose into the air, Charlie muttered "Tergeo" and the blood disappeared from the dirt and Xander. He stepped forward and grasped Xander's shoulder. Xander felt what he'd later call the worst physical sensation of his life, his body constricting into a narrow form and being pulled through a hollow tube only to pop back out on the other side and spring back into place. He fell to his hands and knees, slightly out of breath from the event. Charlie winced sympathetically, setting a hand on his back.

"Sorry about that," he said, "Your first time apparating can be tough. We usually prefer to walk, but, sometimes we can't."

There were two pops and Xander looked up to see Luna and Robin join them. They'd brought the body along with them and set it down on the hardwood floor.

Xander shook his head to clear it before taking in the room around him, "Where are we?"

They'd appeared in a large study, filled with books and leather chairs and couches. There was a chandelier in the center of the room, a large one with crystals and bronze sculptures of long-eared things that reminded him of elves. Two sides of the room were lined with two double-doors made out of wood, each one displaying a seal with the Western United States and a large bird emerging from them. The seals were bordered by the words 'Magical Congress of these United States of America.' On the side facing away from the chairs and couches was a large fireplace, filling the room with warmth. Above the fireplace was a painting of a young woman. She was dressed in black pants and an olive green shirt with a badge on it and her wand in her left hand. She was standing at the top of the Grand Canyon, looking up at the moon with a look of determination. Underneath the painting was a gold plaque that read 'Cassidy Rose, 1 Sheriff of the West, 1862.' At the end of the room were a large set of double-doors with a plaque that read 'Cedric Clearwater, Sheriff of the West.'

"This is the Auror's Office for the West Coast," Robin told him, "We need to inform the Sheriff before we do anything else."

"Why the Sheriff?" Charlie asked, "Shouldn't we go to an auror?"

"This is different," Robin explained, "Xander killed a witch. Anytime that happens, the Sheriff has to investigate."

The four looked at the woman on the floor for a moment before Luna waved her wand, conjuring a sheet and laying over her body.

"Does anyone know her?" Xander asked, his voice soft and his eyes locked on the sheet.

No one answered him, but in fairness, there was a very loud pop right after he asked the question. A small creature with big ears appeared in the room. It was dressed in a small, blue blanket that was draped around it like a toga. It cast its great green eyes around them, leveling its gaze sternly on the body.

"Explain, please," the elf asked, its voice stern and gravelly.

"Muggle incident," Robin said quickly, "It was-"

"I'll summon the Sheriff," the elf muttered, and the four jumped slightly when it shouted, "CEDRIC, GET OUT HERE!!"

The four turned to the door as they heard a chair slide from the other side. The floor thumped as footsteps grew closer and louder before coming to a stop at the door. The right side opened and a large man entered. He was dark skinned and bald with pale eyes, dressed in a gray suit with a navy blue tie. Everything about the man screamed authority. Even if he hadn't stepped out of an office declaring him the sheriff, Xander would've known it. A large, brown wand was in his left hand and, when he caught sight of the covered body, he raised it instantly.

"You people have thirty seconds to explain what happened here," Cedric Clearwater spoke very precisely with a deep voice. His tone was clipped and professional, but the three wizards and one muggle could easily hear the hint of a threat in it.

"Sheriff Clearwater, I'm Robin Scherbatski with Canadian Magical Animal Control," the brunette explained.

"I remember who you are, Robin Sparkles," the Sheriff stated, "Twenty-seven seconds."

"R-right," Robin muttered, clearly intimidated by the tall man, "We located the last angont but when we captured it, we were tranquilized."

"You mean stunned?" Clearwater asked.

"No, she means tranquilized," Xander said and he couldn't help but gulp as his intense gaze laid into him, "I'm Xander Harris, Sir. I'm a...what d'you call us? Wiggles?"

"No, muggles," Luna supplied, "Wiggles are singing creatures who dress in different colored shirts and hang around with pirates."

"A muggle?" Clearwater growled, his grip on his wand tightening as he stepped closer to Xander, "You brought a muggle _here_?"

"This muggle saved us, Sir," Charlie stated, and he explained what happened the previous night and earlier at the cave until the point when he'd been tranquilized.

"If I understand the situation correctly," Clearwater muttered, casting his gaze once again on Xander, "Then you have some explaining to do, Mr. Harris."

With the wave of his wand, the sheriff conjured a hard wooden chair. The chair slid by itself into Xander's knees, forcing the young man into it with a gasp. A series of ropes appeared from behind the chair and wrapped themselves around Xander, binding him to the chair. The young man groaned as they tightened, his eyes widening as the Sheriff stepped closer to him.

"There's a dead witch in my waiting room," Cedric Clearwater stated, "And from what I've been told, you have something to do with it. I want to know what happened, from start to finish. Be warned: I'll know if you're lying."

Xander felt a prickling sensation somewhere deep in his head and knew it had to be Clearwater. The man was testing his memory, finding out the truth for himself. Or he was preparing to sense whether or not he was telling a lie. Maybe he was doing both, but either way, Xander didn't care for it. He brought his mind back to the first thing he could think of, the _Charlie Brown_ theme.

 _Da da-da da da-da daa daa, da da-da da. Da-da-da-da-da!_

He looked up at the sheriff and saw the man casting him a glare that screamed 'I'm not amused.'

"I'd advise you to take this seriously, Mr. Harris," Sheriff Clearwater stated grimly, "You are being held in connection with a potential murder."

That sobered Xander up quite a bit. He had to admit, if he took a moment to consider the situation from the sheriff's point-of-view, he'd be concerned as well. Even so, Xander wasn't one to take kindly to someone going through his mind. Not even in this kind of situation.

"I'm not going to answer you while you're in my head," Xander stated.

Xander stiffened as he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. He looked up to find Luna standing over him, a serious look on her face. It didn't fit her at all.

"Xander," she said softly, "You need to tell him. A muggle killing a witch doesn't happen. It's the kind of thing that can start wars."

He stared at her for a long moment, considering what she was saying. If she was being truthful, and he had no doubts she was, then his actions could spark some kind of anti-human movement among the wizards. It wouldn't surprise him, now that he thought about it. In X-men, the mutants had to stay in the shadows for fear of humans. There were some, like Professor Xavier, who believed peaceful coexistence was possible. There were others, like Magneto, who wanted to either destroy or rule the humans. If there were people like the latter in the wizards' world, they would use his actions to muster whatever support they would need.

He would have to tell the truth. These people had so much power, and it was only the five he'd seen so far. If there were thousands, millions...

He took a breath to steady his nerves, but looked up at Luna and nodded. She gave him a soft smile and stepped away, allowing him to turn his full attention onto the sheriff.

"I remembered everything," Xander explained, "The Angus, the wizards, that magic shrinking briefcase, all of it. When I woke up, I start investigating. I figured they'd look into the ranger's office, trying to find more intelligence. I found out where they would likely go and...I decided not to go. I was afraid that when they found out I hadn't forgotten, they'd try again or worse. But when I realized how far they went to help me out, even when I did nothing to help them, I knew I had to try to help if I could. I saw them trap the Angus, then I saw them get hit with tranquilizer darts."

"And what are 'tranquilizer darts?'" Sheriff Clearwater asked.

Robin reached into her jacket and pulled out a dart (a long, black tube with a needle at the end). The sheriff picked it up gingerly, as though it were some beast playing possum. He rolled it around in his fingers for a moment before setting it down on a nearby table.

"I saw ten men dressed in black BDUs." At the wizards' confused looks, the young man tried again, "Human military uniforms. They were hiding in the forest, hiding really well. One was only, like, twenty yards from me and this guy managed to get away from me without making a sound. When they were walking down to them," he gestured to the three young wizards, "They made no sound at all. The only time I ever heard them was when they were speaking. I've seen soldiers, vampires and demons move silently, but I've never seen anything move like this. When they were done checking on the wizards, that witch appeared."

He looked to the body on the ground. For the first time since his arrival, Sheriff Clearwater lowered his wand from the wizards and human. He pointed it at the body and, with a swish and flick motion, muttered "Wingardium Leviosa." The sheet covering it raised into the air, giving the sheriff an unfettered view of the witch underneath.

"I see." the sheriff nodded to himself, lowering the sheet back down and turning to face Xander, "Her name was Melicent Bullstrode, a wanted criminal. She's been known to illegally harvest magical creatures, obliviate wizards illegally and craft forgeries of wands."

"Forgery?" Robin whispered.

"How do you make fake wands?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know, but they're dangerous," Clearwater explained, "She sold them on the black market to wizards who either had their licenses revoked or who couldn't afford to purchase a wand. You must have come across her and the low-maj flunkies she employees."

"low-maj?" Xander asked.

"Low magic," Robin explained, "Squibs."

Xander wasn't quite sure what she meant, but Charlie and Luna nodded in understanding, so he let the matter slide entirely.

"Then tell me something, Mr. Weasley," Clearwater turned his gaze once again on Xander and asked, "If you obliviated this muggle, then why is he here?"

All three wizards turned to look at Xander. Robin was staring at him with her arms crossed, her eyes showing suspicion. Luna's gaze was wide and bright, though he got a sense that she was regarding him the same as the others. Charlie was looking at him with curiosity, but he wasn't overly concerned.

"I've been wondering that myself," Charlie admitted, "But I can't say I'm worried about it. He did save us, after all."

"She was going to do the same thing they did to me," Xander explained, "'Oblivion' them."

"Oblivi _ate_ ," Clearwater corrected.

"Right, that," Xander agreed.

"It's obvious, then," Sheriff Clearwater stepped toward Xander, his wand raised, "Mr. Weasley failed to successfully cast the charm. That mistake will be rectified immediately."

The sheriff began to mutter the spell, and Xander couldn't help but feel conflicted. On the one hand, he didn't want to forget these people or the amazing things they could do. Charlie, Robin, and Luna, they all seemed like amazing people. He'd love to get the chance to know them. On the other hand, he had killed someone. A criminal that was going to mind-wipe the wizards, granted, but he hadn't meant to kill her. He'd never killed a person before, wizard or not. He'd only wanted to stop her. He would like to be rid of that memory. He wasn't sure if he should fight or not. Not that it mattered, considering he was currently strapped to a chair.

The decision was taken out of his hands when Charlie stepped in the way, causing the sheriff to stop altogether. Robin and Luna came up beside the redheaded wizard, their eyes narrowed in determination. None had drawn their wands yet, but their hands were close by, ready to do so if provoked. The sheriff noticed this and, instead of reacting, simply quirked his eyebrow as if to say 'what are you doing?'

"Sheriff, with respect, I disagree," Charlie said with a hint of offense in his voice, "We checked out the ranger, who I also obliviated. He had no memory of the incident whatsoever. And I'm _not_ a novice, Sheriff. I've been casting the obliviate for almost a decade now, and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened."

"Aside from that," Robin picked up, "Xander literally risked his memory to come help us. Anyone willing to brave that kind of thing to help perfect strangers is someone I don't ever want to obliviate, law be damned."

"I've fought the law before and I'm willing to do it now," Luna agreed.

Sheriff Clearwater stared at them for a long moment, considering what they were saying. He hated to admit it, but they had a point. Cedric Clearwater (an American cousin of Penelope Clearwater from Hogwarts) was a man of law and order, and had been for all his adult life. Obtaining the rank of auror at 20, one of the youngest to ever do so, Cedric spent the first ten years of his career working in the Western region of magical towns. The Western and Midwestern states were among the largest and, as a result, most unoccupied states in the Union. Many wizards took part in 'manifest destiny' and the great westward expansion, so many of those unoccupied areas were actually occupied by wizards and witches. It was very much the wild west out there, as very few of those towns had their own constables and, as a result, every so often a dark guild or a single wizard take over. He'd taken down Vikki and Vance, a powerful duet who intended to become the next Voldemort, about 10 years ago. It was an act that had earned him the position of deputy sheriff.

Then Voldemort returned. Once the story broke in Magical Britain, it became obvious to the Magical Congress of these United States of America (MACUSA) that changes would have to be made. The former sheriff, a woman named Cassidy Rose, had her 149 birthday that year and, as a result, decided she was simply too old to fight on the front lines should the war be brought overseas. At first, everyone was ok with Clearwater being declared sheriff, everyone except the man himself. He insisted on an election being held and, to no one's surprise, the competent deputy sheriff was elected in a landslide.

He'd tried to negotiate with the President of the MACUSA to send a force overseas to support the British, but even if they'd been allowed to, the country itself was stubbornly refusing to admit they needed help. Rufus Scrimgeur himself owled a letter to Clearwater stating what amounted to 'thanks, but no thanks.' Then he died and Voldemort took over in all but name. Cedric knew it, of course, but he couldn't prove it. In the end, he'd simply had to role over and wait till it was too late.

Thankfully, that hadn't been the case. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, had saved the day. He'd done it only with the help of some friends and a smattering of students and teachers. That was the kind of thing that legends were written about. And Sheriff Cedric Clearwater, a man of law and authority, had been forced to admit that government had only been a hindrance at best and an enemy at worst. He was embarrassed for the British Ministry of Magic, but he chose to learn from their mistakes.

If Charles Weasley (a respected veteran of Romania's dragon program and the campaign against Voldemort) said he'd cast a genuine obliviate, then he'd cast a genuine obliviate. This Xander Harris was clearly a muggle, but more importantly, he had a good heart. Robin Scherbatsky (daughter of a respected ranger in Canada's Magical Animal Control, and a competent witch in her own right) was absolutely right in that regard. The two alone would have been enough to sway his mind, but Luna Lovegood (a veteran who'd defied Bellatrix Lestrange herself and had fought alongside Charles Weasley and the Chosen One himself) vouching for him was the icing on the cake.

As such, when facing off against three powerful and respected wizards, Cedric reminded himself of the mistakes of the past. Fudge and Scrimgeur had both sought to use or defy Harry Potter, the only boy who'd ever survived the killing curse (twice!). Xander Harris was the only muggle he'd ever known to survive a memory charm, a powerful bit of magic in its own right. He didn't think he was on Harry Potter's level at all, but it did bear weight enough for him to take pause. With a weary sigh, the powerful wizard waved his wand again, releasing the young man from his bonds.

"That's not all." The wizards all glanced at Xander, who was holding out a small card in his hand. "You should probably read this."

As Clearwater took the business card from the young man and read it, Xander said "I found it on Bullcrap over there."

"Bullstrode," the sheriff corrected idly, "You say this was on her?"

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"It looks like a company of some kind, like your brother's," Luna suggested.

"But it's clearly a muggle company." Clearwater determined, "Itchy!"

The elf from before appeared again, its face irate at being disturbed.

"What is it, Cedric? I've got a debriefing at-"

"Summon Wormwood, Itchy," the sheriff instructed calmly, as though the elf wasn't being rude at all, "Tell her to apparate here at once."

"Fine!" The elf shot Cedric a dirty look before disappearing.

"Gotta say, Sir," Charlie muttered, "Elves don't behave that way in our country. Romania, either."

"Why does he act that way to you?" Luna asked.

"Because I freed him," Cedric explained simply.

Xander gaped openly at this. He'd had no idea at all that the elf (Itchy, apparently) was a slave, or rather, a former slave.

"You people have slaves?" The young man had been raised in California around the likes of Willow Rosenberg and, as such, had learned all about the evils of slavery. He realized perfectly well that his tone was less than respectful, but honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"To our shame," Robin stated and Cedric nodded in agreement.

Charlie bristled lightly at that, but kept his tongue. He was brought up in a family that bucked lots of traditional norms for wizarding society, but all the same, he considered the concept that keeping apparently willing elves as slaves was somehow immoral as an offense. No one liked to consider themselves immoral in any way and while Charlie understood that keeping an unwilling elf as a slave was wrong, he refused to believe it was wrong to keep elves who wished to remain.

Luna, on the other hand, had decided to find herself a chair and pull out a copy of _The Quibbler._ She was already considering what to write for her next article. Perhaps she'd do an interview with Xander to find out about life as a muggle. His views would surely interesting and a way to record a piece of his life should he have to be obliviated.

"I guess it's not a popular idea," Xander hazarded.

"On the contrary," Cedric muttered, "Wizards eliminated wizard slavery almost 700 years ago, but elves are not wizards. We don't know when the first elves were enslaved, but we know they've been growing discontent."

"Oh, yes, they're quite discontent," Luna agreed with a smile, "Hermione Granger's been rousing them up for years with her idea for S.P.E.W. It's an idea that has many of them upset, although to be fair, some of them are happy to be free or treated better. It's an excellent idea, as it also upsets the Grimoire Conspiracy."

"Grimoire-?" Xander began to ask.

"Don't ask," Charlie interrupted.

"A conspiracy amongst several major governments to upset world politics by using elves to steal everyone's left shoe," Cedric informed, a soft smile on his lips, "Tell me, how do you know of this?"

Luna held up her copy of _The Quibbler_ and the sheriff's eyes widened.

"You're _that_ Luna Lovegood?" he asked and, at her nod, said, "You and your father are brilliant. Where do you learn about all these conspiracy theories?"

"We have our ways," Luna said slyly with what she surely thought was a mysterious look but, in fact, merely made her look like she had a cramp.

There was another pop, announcing the return of Itchy. He turned his gaze to Clearwater and stated, "She'll be here shortly" then disappeared with another pop.

"He is _not_ happy with you," Robin muttered, earning a small chuckle from the sheriff.

"He never is," Clearwater explained, "Far as Itchy is concerned, he should have died a slave to my family. When my father died, I released all the elves aligned with our house. Most of them chose to stay on as paid servants, but a number chose to depart. Itchy was the head house-elf and, more importantly, a traditionalist. Releasing him from bondage was the worst thing I could have done to him. But if I wanted to live with myself, I had to do it. He'll hate me till my dying day."

"I'm sorry," Xander muttered, not sure what to say to such a declaration.

"It is what it is," Cedric said simply.

An awkward silence was beginning to settle over the group. None knew what to say after such a conversation. They were saved from the awkwardness by a sudden burst of flame from the fireplace. It lit up with green flame and, to Xander's shock, began to spin inside the chimney. Finally a form appeared in the fire and burst into the room, spinning as the flames extinguished from her body. She was a pale woman a little bit older than himself. She had brown hair and was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a blue polo shirt. She had a belt on and on the left side there was a badge declaring her an auror with the West Coast Office and on the right side was a leather scabbard for her wand. Because Xander was positioned in front of the fireplace, he didn't see Robin's look of surprise. It faded to a small frown.

"Sorry I'm late, Sir," the woman stated, "Auror Wormwood reporting for duy."

"It's alright, Wormwood," Clearwater said, "Now, Weasley, Scherbatsky, Lovegood, pay attention. This is Matilda Wormwood, one of the youngest and best aurors we have. She specializes in cases involving muggle abuse and neglect. The situation has progressed and, as all of you are technically foreign wizards, you must now fall under the authority of an American wizard. I want you to debrief Wormwood and begin to plan your next move."

"Our next move, Sir?" Charlie asked.

"To figure out how Chemerica is involved in all this," the sheriff explains, "And considering it's a muggle company, I believe it would be prudent to have someone who's not connected with our world involved. Wormwood, this is Mr. Harris." Clearwater motioned the human forward.

The young man stepped forward, a little awkwardly. The brunette was pretty in a way that struck him as familiar, but he couldn't place exactly how. Her eyes drifted to someone behind him and he saw her frown a little bit, her eyes drifting downward in embarrassment. She raised her eyes to his. The wizard gave off a cool professional look but he could swear he detected just a hint of a blush, though he had no idea if it was from whatever embarrassed her or from himself.

"Xander," he introduced himself.

"Matilda," she returned. She stared at him for a moment before saying, "You're not magical, are you?"

"They say I'm a muggle." Xander shrugged, "Whatever that means."

"Why is he here?" Matilda directed the question to the sheriff.

Clearwater looked at Robin, "I'll leave Scherbatsky to explain the situation. For now, I have other matters to attend to. Keep me updated, Wormwood."

Matilda nodded in understanding. The Sheriff of the West turned around and walked into his office, closing the door behind him. He sighed, leaning against the door as he pondered the events of the day. Why was Xander Harris so special that he could survive a full obliviate? That was a piece of information that needed to be gathered immediately. He didn't imagine this no-maj was a liability or a spy, but he needed to know more. Cedric was a man of law and authority, but he was also a conspiracy buff. It was a hobby he shared with few, as he felt it injured his image, but it stemmed from a natural habit of researching things.

"Itchy," Cedric whispered.

The toga blanketed elf appeared again, this time greeting him with nothing but folded arms and a grumpy look on his face.

"I need all the files we have on Alexander Harris, a muggle."

The elf nodded once, then disappeared. He would return in several hours time with the files he needed and Cedric could indulge his habit while he waited for an update. Until then, there were other cases to be looked into.

The best thing about his job? It gave him lots of research to do.

XXX

Thank you everyone for reading my fanfic. I plan to continue uploading this once every 1 or 2 weeks. I appreciate every reader and would love to hear your thoughts on what I've got so far. Thanks again!! :)


	4. 4

The four stepped outside the Auror's offices into the dark. Xander turned back to look at the log cabin and was only slightly surprised to find that what had surely been a multi-roomed building appeared on the outside to be a small cabin, barely bigger than the first level of the library and lit only with a lantern on the outside. He could appreciate the usefulness of the building and idly wished he could have one of his own.

"Before we begin," Matilda spoke, "Xander Harris, you may be a legal-aged adult in the no-maj world, but as far as I'm concerned, you're a minor. I'm allowing you a phone call of your choosing, provided I can monitor it. You may not inform them that you are with wizards, but you can give them a number to contact in the event that you are not heard from within 48 hours."

Xander nodded dully, not quite sure what else to do. It made sense, but at the same time, he wondered how much use it would be. If they had to be so secretive, then surely they would make up a story to cover what happened to him.

Matilda seemed to pick up on his thoughts, "The number goes to a travel agency in Nevada. If they call before the 48 hours, the low-majs on staff will say they don't know you. After 48 hours, they'll be connected to another auror in the muggle abuse and neglect office who'll inform them of your situation while leaving out the magical bits."

"We have an office like that in Canada," Robin provided, "I had to train there for a month. We were a travel agency too."

"It's pretty common," Matilda agreed, "Often no-majs may need to travel somewhere to reconnect with their loved ones."

"That's convenient," Xander muttered.

"Alright, so we've got that out the way," Charlie spoke, "We need to figure out what to do first."

"Luna, will you explain what happened up to now?" Robin suggested.

"Oh, certainly," Luna smiled before taking a breath and saying, "It all started in the Great White North-"

"Ugh, I meant to Matilda," Robin grinned.

"Oh! Even better, a private audience!" With an even wider smile, Luna grabbed the American's hand and ran off with her a few feet, earning a surprised look from Matilda.

"Bless," Charlie whispered to Robin, a smile on his lips.

Robin's gaze followed Luna and Matilda for a moment, a small frown on her lips. The frown dissipated in a moment as she turned her mind to the problem at hand.

"Ok, so what do you suggest, Xander? This is your area of expertise, after all."

The Sunnydalian had to admit, Robin had a point. He wasn't a wizard or anything, he'd grown up in the normal world, or at least as normal as the Hellmouth could be. He withdrew the card again and considered it.

"It's a company and it's clearly known to...muggles?" Charlie and Robin nodded, "Muggles, alright. It's involved in poaching magical animals. It's a company, though, so there's gotta be some kinda money in it. So we should start by figuring out what it does to earn money. Then we should get inside somehow, start finding out everything we can about the layout."

"That'll be a challenge," Charlie muttered, "Beastie like that? Be warded like Hell."

"He's a muggle, though," Robin reminded him, "Muggles can pass through anything but a muggle ward."

"But I can't just walk into a company without any reason," Xander said, "In the movies, there's always all sorts of security. It'll be the same with this one. Anytime there's a heist, there's always some kind of inside man scoping the place out. If I'm gonna be the same, I'll need a reason to be inside."

"How about you're applying for a job?" Robin suggested.

"Not a bad idea, except to say I was a crap student," Xander explained with an embarrassed look on his face, "No way would a company like that ever interview me, let alone show me the secrets."

"Maybe not as an applicant," Charlie spoke softly, his eyes wide and a smile on his face, "But what about as an investor?"

"An invest-..." Robin paused, a look of comprehension dawning on her face.

"What?" Xander asked, confused, "I'm missing a thing. What's the thing?"

Charlie and Robin shared a knowing look.

"What? Guys, wha-" Xander stopped, his mouth wide as it finally hit him, "Oh. OH!"

"HE'S A MILLIONAIRE!?!?!" The three heard Matilda practically scream from several feet away.

XXX

Rupert Giles was a man of practicality and routine, a routine which served him well in his duties on the Hellmouth. He would wake up at 6, make himself a warm pot of tea before driving to work. He'd read his books on demonology or the vampire/watcher manuals or, occasionally, a trashy romance novel until one of his young charges joined him for lunch. After lunch, he'd check to see if there were any books overdue (there rarely were) and send Buffy to get them if there were. At night, he and Buffy (along with the rest of the gang if need be) would begin training and patrol preparations. He'd go with Buffy on patrol then, sometime around one or two, he'd drift off to sleep and get up at six to do it all over again.

It was a hard existence but a noble one. He did what he needed to do to keep his Slayer and her friends safe.

But since the destruction of the high school and the death of Mayor Richard Wilkins III, the Englishman found himself adrift in the sea of leisure. He would sleep in till noon, drink tea and read all day and indulge in his secret guilty pleasure: _Days of Our Lives._

It was after dark and, very soon, his Slayer would be here to begin discussing the patrol routine. She would be filled with stories about her day with Willow or Dawn or her mother, or perhaps all three. She would ask how his day went (or not, as the case may be) and he would reply 'very well, thank you.' He'd ask if another postcard from Xander had come in, and she'd say yes or no as the case may be, and she would bid him farewell as she left to start her patrol. He'd ask at the last minute if she'd like him to join and, depending on her mood, she'd say yes or no. Then he'd either assist her on patrol or heat up another cup of tea then go to bed.

Tonight, however, offered the self-proclaimed 'gentleman of leisure' a reprieve from his routine in the form of a phone call.

"Rupert Giles speaking," he answered as he picked up.

"Hey, G-man!"

"Xander," he greeted the young man warmly for a moment before groaning, "I've asked you how many times not to call me that?"

"I dunno, try again. Maybe you've hit the magic number." Xander chuckled, "Listen, I'm going to be doing some stuff for a little bit and I need you to do me a favor."

"Stuff?" Giles inquired, "What kind of 'stuff?'"

"Can't tell you, Giles," he said honestly, "But if you don't hear from me in 2 days, I need you to call this number. Got a pen?"

The former Watcher picked up a black ink pen and piece of paper, then proceeded to write down the number.

"Xander, what is this all about?"

"You'll see, Giles." As Xander spoke, Giles heard his door open and looked up to see Buffy and Willow enter his house. They waved at him and dropped their bags off on the floor.

"Pick those up, please," he requested politely before turning his attention back to the phone call, "Xander, I must insist you tell me what's going on."

At those words, the two girls made their way over to Giles, each holding their hands out and insisting on talking to him.

"Sorry, Giles, don't wanna spoil the surprise," the young man grinned over the phone, "Oh, and be sure to watch the new at 7 o'clock! Give my love to the girls! Bye!"

"Xander!" Giles called out, only to hear a dial tone in reply.

"Giles, that was Xander? Why was he calling? He's in trouble, isn't he? Oh my God, he's in trouble!! Where is he? We need to find him! A spell, I know, a-"

"Willow, please," Giles interrupted the redheaded whirlwind, "He didn't say he was in trouble, only to call this number if we don't hear from him in two days. I daresay it's nothing too serious, though. He said he didn't want to spoil the surprise. Apparently, he's to be on the news tonight at 7."

"That's in 40 minutes!" Willow exclaimed, "What channel?"

"He neglected to say," Giles stated.

Buffy, however, simply picked up the piece of paper with the number Xander had given to Giles on it. She picked up the phone and dialed it.

"West Coast Travel Services, how may I help you?" An overly pleasant voice answered.

"Yes, I'd like to speak to Xander Harris, please." Buffy said.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't have anyone with that name in our office," the woman explained, "Is there-"

"How about _Alex_ ander Harris?" Buffy tried again, interrupting the woman on the other end.

There was a pause on the other side and, unless the Slayer missed her guess, she'd offended the woman by interrupting her. She'd apologize once she knew her friend was safe.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Apparently Buffy was correct; the woman's tone had become much more clipped, though still professional. "I don't have _anyone_ by that name in our offices. I highly advise calling back in a few days time. I'll be on vacation then. Goodbye."

The phone clicked. The young woman looked up at her best friend and her Watcher, her face warm with embarrassment.

"Problems?" Giles asked, a soft grin on his face.

She shot him a whimpering smile.

XXX

"Brilliant, mate," Charlie complimented Xander as he stepped down from the podium.

Xander let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "Can you believe how high taxes are on lottery earnings?! I get less than 4 million of my 6 million."

"Considering that's free, I wouldn't complain much." Matilda smiled softly.

"Me and Matilda are muggle-born, we got a pretty good idea how much 4 million will get you," Robin said, a little twinge of jealousy in her voice.

"Sounds like you know each other," Luna said, her eyes on the white popcorn ceiling counting all the sticking out bits.

"We do," Matilda said softly, "We attended Ilvermorny together, though I was several years ahead."

"What's Ilvermorny?" Charlie asked as the five made their way out of the studio.

"The American wizarding school," Robin explained, "Our Hogwarts."

"But you're Canadian." Xander pointed out.

"Canadians have the option of attending," Matilda said, "But nevermind. You really did a great job, Xander."

"Think so?" Xander asked, a bit nervous, "I mean, I thought I came off a little bad when I talked about-"

"You were nervous, and that's fine," Robin interrupted, "That's better than fine, that's great. Chemerica'd be suspicious if you weren't."

"She's right, mate," Charlie said, "You came off like a clueless guy who came into some money and was trying to be smart, and that's _exactly_ what we needed."

Luna giggled, "Like the twins after Harry gave them his tourney winnings."

Charlie was silent for a long moment, so long that the dreamy Ravenclaw was beginning to think she shouldn't have mentioned it. Finally Charlie let loose a soft smile and nodded, "Yeah, a bit dense, they were."

Luna turned and buried herself into Charlie's chest, wrapping her arms around the redheaded wizard. He returned the gesture and closed his eyes, remembering all the things lost to war.

XXX

Seven o'clock rolled around and the Scooby Gang found themselves gathered around the television in Giles's apartment (which he refused to acknowledge was shallow). Willow and Buffy were sitting on the couch, a plate of meats and cheeses placed on the table in front of them. They were idly chatting about classes while the news played, each casting an eye towards it for when Xander 's surprise was revealed. Oz and Giles were sitting on the floor by the TV, with the younger man enamored by the Englishman's impressive record collection.

"Ok, either I'm movin' in or I'm borrowing all your albums," the wolfman said, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Young man, this isn't even the full of my collection," Giles smiled as well as he pulled out one of his albums ( _Loaded_ by Velvet Underground), "Now this beauty is a personal favorite!"

"Wow," Oz breathed, barely able to comprehend the magnificence before him.

Willow and Buffy shared a look and broke into smiles and giggles. They turned their attention back to the TV and watched idly as it carried on.

" _In national news, some lucky Californian has won the Washington State Lottery,"_ the newsman was saying, _"A young man on a summer road trip along the West Coast bought a lottery ticket on a whim and, surprise surprise, it turned out to be his lucky day!"_

"'Lucky Californian,'" Willow repeated.

"You don't think?" Buffy muttered.

" _18 year old Alexander Harris_ -

"GUYS! SHHHH!!" Willow shushed the two men furiously.

The newsman was still speaking when they turned their attention to the television.

" _In what had originally been theorized to be a lost or discarded ticket, it turned out that Mr. Harris had it in his back pocket all along. The young man turned in his winning ticket a little after dark and, after confirming it was, in fact, the correct ticket the lottery commission had this press conference."_

The screen shifted over to a small office with the Washingtonlottery symbol on it. Standing at a podium was a large man dressed in a suit and, to his immediate right, was a young man with brown hair they all recognized.

"Oh my God," Buffy whispered, stunned.

Each was a bit stunned to see the fellow Scooby on television and so they almost completely missed what the man was saying, but when Xander stepped forward to accept the massive check, everyone felt their hearts still.

"SIX MILLION DOLLARS?!?!?!"

" _I-I'm just,"_ Xander muttered, clearly stunned to be standing there, _"I uh."_

He reached for a glass of water and drank down almost all of it, earning some chuckles from the attendants.

" _Thirsty,"_ he said once he was done, earning some more laughs, _"Um, ok. T-thanks, I mean, thank you to the State of Washington and it's lottery...um, folks."_

" _So what are you gonna do with your winnings, son?"_

The young man scratched the back of his neck, a little stunned by the question.

" _Well, I mean, I'm thinking a yacht, gold toilet, platinum car, maybe a tiger,"_ he smiled, _"Nah, I could do that, but honestly, I come from a poor family. It was pretty often we got the power cut off in summer, or we couldn't afford groceries. I don't want that anymore, for me or any kids I may have. So I guess first thing is setting some kinda...I dunno, bank thing, whatever it's called. Then making a few investments in companies seems smart."_

" _Any in particular?"_

" _I dunno, I'm new to all this,"_ Xander reminded them, _"So I imagine it'd be good to start by calling companies up and making appointments to check them out. Don't wanna invest in something I don't know anything about."_

Giles and Willow nodded, proud to see that Xander had decided to make smart choices with his newfound wealth.

" _But nah, some of this is gonna be put to fun,"_ he assured them, _"For instance, unless I miss my guess, my best friends are watching right now. Hi guys!"_ He waved at them, and they couldn't help but wave back. _"They're the most important people in my life and I wouldn't have made it through the last three years without them. So, guys, remember that number I gave you? Give it a call in a few days and start making plans, it's all on me."_

As the newsman came back on, each of the Scooby Gang sat staring at the screen in absolute shock. They were all silent for a moment, each one lost in the reality of what had happened. Then there was a soft sound, something between a chuckle and a cry. All eyes turned to the redhead, who was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. The young wolf rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, who grasped him tightly as she wept. Within moments though, her cries began to change to laughter.

Oz couldn't help it. He cracked a small grin at his girlfriend's behavior, what amounted to a full-on smile for the reserved musician. Buffy sat beside them, staring at the display with a mix of shock and awe until, finally, everything caught up with her. She looked over at Giles who was busy cleaning his glasses, a look similar to her own masking his features. He looked over her way and, when their eyes met, neither could help but begin to smile.

That night, there was no patrol. Buffy called Mrs. Summers and told her the news, and they all promptly went over to her house. Dawn spent the whole night discussing where she would have her wedding with Xander, either in Egypt or Hong Kong, or perhaps the moon. He could afford it now, of course. Mrs. Summers reminded her that Xander was much too old for her. Buffy wanted to go to the Bahamas for the trip, make it a family vacation (minus Dawn). The young girl took issue with this, of course. Giles wondered if he would make an exception so he could take both a vacation to England to visit his family, then take a vacation right after so he could recover from his trip to England. Willow wanted to visit Latin America, see the ancient ruins therein or maybe visit Japan and get some of the latest technology. Oz was happy going with Willow, but he also wanted to go to France and visit the grave of Jim Morrison, one of his idles.

But Buffy, to her credit, took the time to remind everyone that while Xander was being generous that didn't mean they could do whatever they wanted with his money. They had to be better friends than that. Even so, they should enjoy themselves for the night and plan a party for when he returned.


End file.
